Interesting, I guess I will find out in a few weeks if the ginko trees
here on campus have smelly fruit, and will of course report back.
As for the Japanese student who was surprised we don't eat the ginko
berries, was s/he also surprised we don't grow kudzu for the tubers?!

"S" wrote in
et:

Gingko Biloba is the genus/species name of the tree. The dietary
supplement is basically the fruit. There is no substance on earth more
akin to the smell of canine feces than that fruit. Having said that,
the fruit is a delicacy in SE Asia and I remember 15 yrs ago in high
school a japanese exchange student being quite shocked that we did not
eat the berries (we were equally shocked that anyone would get closer
to them than strictly necessary). Gingkos are dioescious-whole trees
are a single gender. Most commercial plantings will unsurprisingly be
males, which bear no fruit. God bless you if you are brave enough to
suffer a female. The breed can't live forever on cuttings.


"Hope Munro Smith" wrote in message
om...
(Myrmecodia) wrote in message
. com...
Hope Munro Smith wrote in message
...
Gosh, I think ginko trees are the loveliest things to see! I
didn't realize that they had smelly fruit, I'll have to check the
one I go by everyday to see if it has any on it.

If the person who planted it was thinking ahead, it's probably a
male plant propagated from a cutting.

Nick

Well, I went by yesterday and most of them have big clusters of ginko
fruit! But I read that is the source of ginko biloba. Perhaps the
person who wanted to get rid of his fruit should reconsider and
perhaps make a little money?!